“Break out Kings” —Pilot

Catch “Breakout Kings” at its regular time Sundays 10:00 PM (EST) on A&E

Fox’s loss is A&E’s gain.  It has been reported that this show first pitched this idea to the Fox Channel who refused it only to have A&E pick it up.  The decision maker from Fox may now have to live with the fact they threw away a runaway hit.  Here is just a little of what is in store for anyone watching this show.

The first thing to be aware of is Charlie DuChamp (Laz Alonso) has waited for years to finally get away from behind the desk of the US Marshall Service where a weak heart landed him and this is the same ailment that killed his father some time ago.  His drive to make this work is rooted in finally getting a chance to prove him self and being the only official US Marshall Representative makes him more than responsible for the results shown by this experiment.  This drives him to be somewhat “heavy handed” but as time and relationships build, he seems to be coming around

Next is Ray Zancanelli (Dominick Lombardo) second in command but what sets him apart from the rest is the fact that he was once a US Marshall and this gathering was his “brain child”.  He stood proudly as a Marshall until a decision to dip into the till caused him his position and now labels him as a con himself.  He was not only chosen for this experiment because it was his idea but also because he is one of the best at his job of tracking criminals and his experience is second to none.  His resentment of Charlie is obvious but his acceptance of his role is evident of the professional that he is.  He also was the one to choose those he wanted on the team and he chooses this crew of convicts because of the eminence talent that they bring.

Let’s meet the crew.  You have Sean Daniels (Malcolm Goodwin) a criminal mind with the ability to break into almost anything man-made.  He has an ability to think on the run and can handle a car like the most talented of race car drivers.  Next is Lloyd Lowery (Jimmi Simpson) the classic of “comic relief”.  He provides the laugh lines and his mind is so brilliant that he steps up the extreme realism of this series.  His ability to get into the mind and figure people out reminds me of Reed on Criminal Minds.  Next is the heart and soul of this team Julianne Simms (Brooke Nevin).  She works from the office and can collect information and get answers faster than anyone I have ever watched before.  Her ability to do her job is only limited by her sometimes lack of self-worth.  While the pilot introduced us to two others, these two did not last long before they stepped over the line and was quickly dismissed by the Virgin (Charlie DuChamp-Laz Alonso) but the newest member Eric Reed (Selinda Swan) more than makes up for both of them.  These lists of characters are so compelling that their crimes seem less important.

This show has a little bit of a mixture between Criminal Minds and Leverage.  It is one heck of a mix and if you like either of these shows, you will fall in love with Breakout Kings.  Even though it competes with another of my favorite shows “CSI Miami”, I find myself quite thankful for the last channel button on my remote control.